[Fillipo Simone]

Another big match to come. A few notes:

- Milan won their last 3 matches in Serie A while Juve lost 2 out of the last 3.

- Milan is stronger while away; Juventus isn't that good on home soil.

- Zambrotta should be back so Milan will have more fullback options avaible.

[han2503]

I count one: Cassano... who more are great aces? Okay, I'm very happy with Yepes' preformances but not sure to call him a great ace also.

Cassano, Seedorf and Flamini can all come in and change the match. Seedorf is not good enough to start but coming off the bench he's still very useful. I really cannot stand hearing you complain about Seedorf since just a few months ago you were so hell bent on him starting as long as Ronaldinho didn't get to see the pitch. And he wasn't doing anything special then either so it's not really a good agument to say that he cr@p now while just a few months ago he wasn't (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

You probably view Merkel as someone who can change the match around for us if we need it... Just because he's in the age group that you deem acceptable

While Yepes, Amelia, Oddo and Urby can also be very useful if we need to change setup or there is an injury without suffering a severe drop in quality

I cannot belive what I'm reading! Are we now bashing every player Milan has? I mean sure, yes, they are all humans, so yes, probably they have soft spots or bad sides. But honestly, is this neccesary? I mean, that way you could argue that whole teams in the Serie A and beyond are crap.

What han meant to say, I belive, is we have a lot of utility players there. We have Seedorf who still can do something and help out if neccesary, Oddo can lock-up the right side if needed, we have Flamini who can enter and provide some freshness, stability and strenght for the final 20-15 minutes if we take the lead, we have Emanuelson who can pracitally do the same but also provied more offensive passes and speed and we have Cassano. So I really wouldn't laugh at them.

Thanks, nice to see someone sensible on here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

+1

Not so long ago I was getting more faithful about him, but he keeps showing that mentally he is very meh.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) You talk about mentality? You defend Rino or someone like Abate who have both left this team high and dry this season because they're too obsessed with fighting it out then playing, yet Flamini is mentally meh? What has he done to suggest this? Having a bad game against Spurs? Sorry but everyone fell in that group, he was one of our best players against Napoli, he always gives his all, don't see how that makes him weak

[acid911]

Don't you dare say anything bad about Matteo!

I was his big fan, but seriously the guy needs to tone down his aggression a bit, before it costs the team at the wrong time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Show of passion and doing a little dirty work is needed, but I'd actually put Van Bommel ahead of Matteo at this moment (just by a nudge), because of his wily nature and no-fuss and usually no-card tackling.

Still I am a fan of the guy, and frankly he has had it tough with injuries and not having a definite starting place even after all his time here, so I hope he can get is act together (hard tackles and radar-less shooting). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) Only this way can he cement his place and play the next few seasons.

You never know when a bad tackle from a DM can result in a red, with the team being down to 10 men in say, a derby match? 0-4 scores become an easier reality then. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Besides, no tackle is worth career-threatening injuries top opposing players, remember what happened to Ribery in the CL match and how FIFA knocked him over?

I cannot belive what I'm reading! Are we now bashing every player Milan has? I mean sure, yes, they are all humans, so yes, probably they have soft spots or bad sides. But honestly, is this neccesary? I mean, that way you could argue that whole teams in the Serie A and beyond are crap.

Keep your shirt on, Fillipo, I was only kidding. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) And besides, we are a club, not the Spanish or English NT that has Febregases, Torreses and Lampards warming the benches ready to come on. Practically all players have good/bad points when it comes to performances, but bench and reserve strength is absolutely necessary for a club that is challenging for the title, CL and even the Coppa.

In no way would it be right to underestimate these players, who step up when the need arises. Look at Janku, did not play for months and came on quite well in the last match.

What han meant to say, I belive, is we have a lot of utility players there. We have Seedorf who still can do something and help out if neccesary, Oddo can lock-up the right side if needed, we have Flamini who can enter and provide some freshness, stability and strenght for the final 20-15 minutes if we take the lead, we have Emanuelson who can pracitally do the same but also provied more offensive passes and speed and we have Cassano. So I really wouldn't laugh at them.

True, but my point was that they are utility players (beside Cassano) and not really aces who can change the outcome of a match, even a Serie A match, from the bench. City has a bench that can do that, United, even inter. Not us, at least not now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) Maybe when Inzaghi, Ambrosini, and Zambrotta are back, but until then we are thin back there. Hopefully next year, we get a player or two back from loans and co-ownerships, and sign up one or two decent players who can take it up from a bench at Milan.

Not so long ago I was getting more faithful about him, but he keeps showing that mentally he is very meh.

I still have faith, the guy turns in good performances whenever called upon. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) A touch-player like him needs to play regularly to build up his confidence. I just think he needs a little coaching talk and, and who knows maybe spending some time with Bommel will result him in learning the tricks in the book.

Cassano, Seedorf and Flamini can all come in and change the match. Seedorf is not good enough to start but coming off the bench he's still very useful. I really cannot stand hearing you complain about Seedorf since just a few months ago you were so hell bent on him starting as long as Ronaldinho didn't get to see the pitch. And he wasn't doing anything special then either so it's not really a good agument to say that he cr@p now while just a few months ago he wasn't

Not really. Seedorf was good in the first few matches of the season, but has gone further downhill since. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) That was when he got the starting spot ahead of R80, and was playing at his 2008-10 level. Now, I would not say he is very useful coming off the bench, in fact far from it. I think the player and management know that this is the end of the road, so maybe the drive is not there anymore, who knows. The guy has done and won everything there is, and then some. Fact is that he is a good player to have in case of an injury to our main midfielders. That is the reason he is not coming off the bench too these past few matches. Allegri preferred him, and I almost thought that we would renew with him again, but now I am not too sure. Maybe we will, but it's 60-40 against the Dutchman.

Besides, it's not about being crap, and vice versa. It's not always black and white, particularly in something like football. As of right now, based on what I have seen, Seedorf is a good player to have in the squad, and step in when any player gets injured, plus a few bench appearances here and there. Few attacking players play on at or after the age of 35. Few. All the talent and experience in the world is there, but I have very limited reasons to believe Seedorf will come off the bench and make a killer assist to win us the match.

You probably view Merkel as someone who can change the match around for us if we need it... Just because he's in the age group that you deem acceptable

Not really again. Merkel, Strasser, anyone else who can step in and take the reins in a season or two. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) There should always be transitional player/youth coming up the ranks. Not just 18 years old ones, who I agree are still too soft for big matches, but ideally young legs with some experience.

While Yepes, Amelia, Oddo and Urby can also be very useful if we need to change setup or there is an injury without suffering a severe drop in quality

That's the keyword, without major drop in quality. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) But are they aces, can we count on them to change the match on its heads when things are totally down? Can any of them pull of stuff at the level of Inzaghi when he showed the mirror to Madrid (before getting injured, unfortunately). Cassano only, the rest are containing players, and important yes, but I stand by the notion that our first XI is second to none, but bench is not as strong as it was a few years back. And hopefully this is something that will change next, in the coming couple of seasons.

You talk about mentality? You defend Rino or someone like Abate who have both left this team high and dry this season because they're too obsessed with fighting it out then playing, yet Flamini is mentally meh? What has he done to suggest this? Having a bad game against Spurs? Sorry but everyone fell in that group, he was one of our best players against Napoli, he always gives his all, don't see how that makes him weak

I thought his showing against Spurs was no way near bad, it was a decent performance (bar the bad two-footed tackle). And frankly, I'd start him and KPB for all the remaining matches of the season with either of Ambro and Gattuso, Pirlo up ahead and then the attackers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif) And a 3-man defense that stays back - Nesta, Silva and Abate, etc.